Strawberry Mansion: A Philadelphia Story is a dramatic tale of three young friends who must rely on their connection to each other to weather tragic storms. Tabitha lost her freedom in high school when she hooked up with a boy who would impregnate her and make her his punching bag. Lisa is deemed "the strong one" by her friends, but her own past of sexual abuse and pregnancy at the hands of her stepfather keeps her one second away from falling apart as the drama builds. Their younger friend, Shanice, is a hellion, ready and willing to let any boy have her just to get the affection she believes her mother has withheld. As their world spirals out of control, they cling fast to one another in the hope that love, friendship, and strength will not only keep them together but will also move them to a better place in their lives.
Author Thom Nickels presents the city's most iconic homes and the stories behind them. Philadelphia's grand mansions and architectural treasures reflect its iconic status in American history, for each Greek Revival home and Corinthian column tells a compelling story of the people behind it. Historic Strawberry Mansion in North Philadelphia was home to Judge William Lewis, a Patriot who defended colonists accused of treason and was Aaron Burr's defense lawyer. Socialite, millionaire and world-renowned art collector Henry McIlhenny made his home at Rittenhouse Square and left his art collection to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Famed architect Addison Mizner's Spanish Colonial Revival house La Ronda brought the stark contrast of South Florida to Philadelphia.
Founders and Famous Families: Philadelphia is an in-depth look at how significant founders, families, and firsts made Philadelphia not only the birthplace of our country, but also truly a city of firsts. Through their efforts they stamped their mark on Philadelphia with parks, streets, and landmarks bearing their names. Founders and Famous Families: Philadelphia brings to life the founding families' histories, a history of lives lived large -- truly the Who's Who (as well as the When and Where) of Philadelphia -- that when considered together, made the City of Brotherly Love the great metropolis it is today. From the first hospital to the first paper mill, Philadelphia was the keystone to our developing nation in its formative years. Philadelphia is also home of America's first zoo, the oldest art museum and art school in the country and the first African American Church in the United States.
Matthew Countryman traces the efforts of two generations of black Philadelphians to turn the City of Brotherly Love into a place of promise and opportunity for all. He explores the origins of civil rights liberalism, the failure to deliver on the promise of racial equality and the rise of the Black Power movement.
Fixing Broken Cities explores the planning, execution, and impact of urban repopulation and investment strategies that were launched in the wake of two crises: late twentieth-century economic disinvestment and the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because past practices could no longer serve as a reliable guide to future outcomes in this uncertain environment, any new initiatives had to involve a significant level of risk-taking. Based on the author’s experience as a policymaker and practitioner, this book provides detailed insights into the origins and outcomes of these high-risk strategies, along with an explanation of why they succeeded or failed. This new edition examines policy initiatives from a fresh perspective, based on an awareness that (1) real estate ventures are best evaluated over the long term, rather than shortly after the completion of construction activity; (2) policies that had guided the allocation of public-sector resources during past decades of urban disinvestment need to be reconsidered in light of the economic resurgence that many American cities are now experiencing; and (3) the places described in this book are representative of other municipalities, of all kinds, where the pandemic has led to a fundamental rethinking of the relationship between home and workplace. A key theme of the book is equitable development, the question of who should benefit from the allocation of scarce public capital, and what investment policies are most likely to support this principle over the long term. The author provides realistic guidance about pursuing the best opportunities for improvement in highly disadvantaged, resource-starved urban areas, with reference to several key issues that are pressing concerns for members of urban communities: enlivening downtown and neighborhood commercial areas, stabilizing and strengthening residential communities, eliminating industrial-age blight, and providing quality public education options. This new edition will be of great use to planning, housing and community development professionals, both regionally and nationally, as well as to students on Urban Politics and Planning courses.
Residents of Philadelphia have been nagging Akashic Books for years to see their own entry in the award-winning Noir series. The time has finally arrived - but the city must beware as there may be no recovery from the tarnishing of this collection of 15 original crime stories. Features brand-new stories by Diane Ayres, Cordelia Frances Biddle, Keith Gilman, Cary Holladay, Solomon Jones, Gerald Kolpan, Aimee LaBrie, Halimah Marcus, Carlin Romano, Asali Solomon, Laura Spagnoli, Duane Swierczynski, Dennis Tafoya and Jim Zervanos.
Featured here is the remarkable story of an unlikely artistic collaboration between boys who live in a residential facility and men who lived in a maximum-security state correctional facility--and the eight-mile long mural they created.
Strawberry Mansion: The Jewish Community of North Philadelphia is a testament to the urban experience in American Jewish life. Perfect for fans of Jewish-American History. A section of North Philadelphia, Strawberry Mansion is nestled high on the banks of the Schuylkill River, adjacent to the large expanses of Fairmount Park, with many wonderful venues such as Woodside Park. The area became the setting for America's premiere Jewish Community in the 20th century, with over 50,000 inhabitants. Strawberry Mansion was the first Jewish suburb within an urban setting. Affectionately known as the Mansion, it was only a trolley car ride away from South Philadelphia's immigrant district. Jewish families migrated from one neighborhood to another as they advanced economically in American society during the early 1900s. By the mid-1950s, the decision to discontinue the once heavily traveled Route #9 trolley car marked the decline and eventual demise of Strawberry Mansion as a Jewish enclave.
